Team Charm's Intrigue
by ClockwerkOrange
Summary: Team Charm has blasted through the ranks and accomplished miraculous feats. However, Gardevoir is hiding something. Ultimately, will she have the courage to decide whether she will be truly happy?
1. Alone

The cave was dark and bleak, but Team Charm, the famous Exploration Team that had achieved the highest possible rank that an Exploration Team could get, had made it. Team Charm, which survived many a close scrape (and had talented and strong members), had finally finished crawling, climbing, and exploring to get to the final section of the cave.

"Looks like Team Charm wins again!" Lopunny squealed as she placed a decrepit old chest on top of a rock.

Gardevoir smiled at Lopunny. She was always so peppy and energetic, and Gardevoir really wished she could be as strong or as strategic as her. Gardevoir smiled again, looked closely at the chest, and noticed a few things about it. The hinges on the back where rusted, but they weren't overly so, so it should be easy enough to open. It seemed to be carved from wood and dyed a dark blue. Gardevoir frowned when she saw that it had a keyhole. The cave was dark, so she held the lantern closer to the lock. She sat down the lantern and tugged on the top of the chest. It didn't open. It was definitely locked.

"The real mystery is how we're going to get it open," Gardevoir commented.

Medicham looked closely at the lock, as if she were doing some serious calculations in her mind.

"Do you think you can open it, Medicham?" Lopunny asked.

Medicham continued to stare intently at the lock with an expression of deep focus.

"Well?" Gardevoir asked.

Medicham picked up a small rock, much to Gardevoir's curiosity.

"What are you..." Lopunny began to ask as Medicham slammed down the rock on the front of the chest, which caused the lock mechanism to be essentially shattered. It crumbled to pieces, and the chest opened a few millimeters.

"Real subtle, Medicham," Gardevoir commented.

"Thanks," she replied.

"Okay, now let's see what is..." Lopunny began as she opened the chest completely and stared. "Oooh. This will be more than enough."

Gardevoir smiled. It was always like this, always a new adventure. Whenever she was with Team Charm... whenever she was with Lopunny, adventure and discovery was just around the corner. She closed her eyes and recalled how quickly Team Charm soared through the ranks, accomplishing tasks and discovering places that no one had done or seen before. Even now, discovering a chest full of gold and jewels, this was just one excursion of many. Team Charm, with Lopunny as leader, could accomplish pretty much anything they set their minds to. Lopunny was simply the greatest leader, friend, and role model that Gardevoir could possibly imagine.

It was like one big whirlwind of adventure and fun. However, there were some bitter undertones, as there always must be, seeing as nothing is perfect.

"Gardevoir? Are you asleep or something?"

Gardevoir knew one thing for certain.

"Hello, is anyone in there?"

She was completely and painfully in love with Lopunny.

"Anyone home, Gardevoir?"

And she did not return the favor.


	2. Doubt

Why doesn't she love her? Perhaps she does, or possibly that was just a ray of false hope breaking through the dense clouds surrounding Gardevoir's heart and mind. How could she even know that Lopunny had noticed her...? Was she doomed to wait in silence as Lopunny passed her by?

"Gardevoir... don't you want to see the spoils?" Medicham asked.

"Sure..." she said quietly.

She stood next to Lopunny, which made her frown. She looked at the open chest and saw that it was filled about halfway with gold coins and a few precious stones, and on the top was a gold crown encrusted with gems.

"Awesome, right?" Lopunny asked.

"Yes!" Gardevoir exclaimed... and she meant it. There was loads of money in there, and the crown would fetch a massive price. "We could sell it to that Kecleon fellow in Treasure Town."

"My thoughts exactly!" Lopunny exclaimed.

If only her thoughts were a bit more related to Gardevoir's, maybe she would have been more excited by Lopunny's words. The rest of the team was smiling, but Gardevoir's smile was frozen as a frown. Lopunny can't love Gardevoir... how does she even know she would... swing like _that_? All of her thoughts of a possibility of love were shrouded in looks and smiles... nothing definite. Gardevoir was sick. She was getting obsessed... there was only so much indecision and doubt in her life, and only Lopunny could solve it. It had been three years. _Three years_. She still couldn't collect her strength and just... just _tell _Lopunny how she felt! Why was she so _shy_?! It seemed that whenever she had almost gathered the courage to do... well, anything... she couldn't do it by herself. She always needed someone to help, give her motivation, or do something. The only reason she was successful with Team Charm was because of the fact that Lopunny gave her the strength to accomplish all the miraculous tasks that Team Charm was famous for. She had to buckle down, suck it up, and tell Lopunny _just how she felt_!

But... no, she couldn't. Lopunny might reject her. She would be cast out from Team Charm at the least, and never speak to her again. That was beyond what Gardevoir could take, and almost beyond what she could imagine.

"Gardevoir... we're all set to go to Treasure Town," Lopunny called as she touched the team's Explorer Badge along with Medicham. The Explorer Badge would be able to teleport them to Treasure Town faster than taking the long route back out of the cave.

Gardevoir quietly placed her hand on the badge and was teleported away along with the others.


	3. Allies

The cave degenerated in a flash of light as Gardevoir, Medicham, and Lopunny were teleported directly in front of a startled Kecleon Brother who managed the shop in Treasure Town. The other Kecleon Brother was talking with a customer. Team Charm appearing right in front of Kecleon just about gave him a heart attack.

"Gee," Medicham said. "We're here."

Lopunny calmed down the shocked Kecleon and pulled out her Treasure Bag. She took out the large crown, which was the only unique item that could be purchased for a massive amount of money. Naturally, this startled the Kecleon Brother even more.

"Would you be willing to buy this from us?" Lopunny asked.

"Wh-what a sparkly crown... um..." Kecleon said, drifting off.

"Okay, well, how much do you think it is worth?" Medicham asked.

"Well... I'd say around nine-thousand, five hundred coins," Kecleon declared, still gazing at the glowing crown.

The customer that the other Kecleon Brother was talking to was a Pichu, and his ear perked up at this statement.

"Sorry," Medicham said quietly, jarred from Kecleon's declaration. "I think I either misunderstood or misheard you...? Gardevoir, what did he say about the sapphire's value?"

"It's over nine-thousand!" Gardevoir shouted in response.

"_What, _nine_-thousand?!_" Medicham shouted in shock. _"_There's no way that can be right!"

"Oh, but it is... I think I'll take it off your hands," Kecleon commented, regaining some of his lost composure. Gardevoir smiled. The money from the crown would be more than enough to fund Team Charm's work for several months. Perhaps they could even donate some of the money for a massive expedition... there were many places that were still unexplored.

As Lopunny made the exchange for a massive bag of coins, she smiled as if she had just gotten an idea, which was indeed the case.

"Girls, girls..." Lopunny whispered, walking them away from Kecleon. "Do you girls want to drop in on Wigglytuff at the guild while we're here?"

While Team Charm was talking, Kecleon put the crown on his head and started dancing, but took it off when the other Kecleon Brother gave him a dark look.

"Of course! We simply have to pay him a visit," Medicham commented.

Gardevoir nodded, smiling.

Pichu walked off quietly.

*

"Friends, friends!" Wigglytuff squealed, jumping out of his office. Wigglytuff's office was built precariously into the very edge of the cliff that was Wigglytuff's Guild. Wigglytuff's Guild was where many teams gathered in search of work, and there were several apprentices that work at the guild directly.

"Hello, Wigglytuff," Lopunny said in response, tossing him a particularly perfect looking apple.

"A perfect apple? For me?!" Wigglytuff asked as he caught the apple, bounced it into the air, and began to dance while it bobbed on his head. "Yoom-tah!"

Lopunny laughed.

Gardevoir looked around. The guild was pretty empty... but, then again, it was getting rather late.

"Hey, Wigglytuff and Lopunny, while you two are catching up, I think Gardevoir and I will just have a look around," Medicham suggested, smiling. "It's been a while since we've seen the guild."

"Okay, friends!" Wigglytuff said cheerily as he danced, much to Lopunny's amusement.

Medicham started pacing down a hallway for a distance and beckoned for Gardevoir to come.

Gardevoir approached and Medicham looked at her strangely.

"Just what is going on between you and Lopunny?" Medicham asked quietly.

Gardevoir's heart skipped a beat, and then her face lit up bright crimson. She looked back at Lopunny and Wigglytuff still talking, and back at Medicham.

"The way you look at her..." Medicham ventured, still keeping her eyes fixed on Gardevoir's.

"I d-d-don't know what you're talking about," Gardevoir said, involuntarily taking a step back.

"But... she hasn't been looking at you oddly," Medicham commented.

Something inside Gardevoir shattered, and she crumpled against the wall letting tears flow freely down her face.

"Oops," Medicham said. "Oh, er... stop crying..."

Gardevoir was still silently shaking, tears still having their way.

"Please, please, _please_ stop crying..."

Gardevoir sniffled and wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Thank you," Medicham said. "I'm sorry if I upset you, I'm just trying to help."

"What?" Gardevoir asked suspiciously.

"Yes, I was just thinking that you love her... but, you won't say anything."

"Well, you're right," Gardevoir said, sniffling again.

"You have to tell her how you feel," Medicham suggested. "It's not good that just bringing her up made you burst into..." Medicham trailed off.

Gardevoir looked up in response to her suddenly stopping, and spied someone in her peripheral vision.

"Um... I'll come back later," a Sunflora said as she looked at Gardevoir. Gardevoir was curled up and leaning against the wall with an expression of sadness that would make a psychotic serial killer hug a Bellsprout. Sunflora backed away into her room.

"Looks like Lopunny is about done with her conversation," Medicham commented dryly.

"Come on, Team!" Lopunny said as she walked to the ladder that led to the entrance. "Let's go!"

Medicham and Gardevoir nodded and began to walk to the ladder as Lopunny began to climb it.

"Gardevoir," Medicham whispered.

Gardevoir looked towards Medicham.

"You know that Lopunny's birthday is soon, right?"

"In four days," Gardevoir replied instantly.

Medicham frowned. "You're a serious case."

"Just make your point," Gardevoir replied, chuckling.

"Oh, yeah, that's right." Medicham said. "Maybe you could get Lopunny something nice. Then, maybe, later... ask her?"

Gardevoir was silent as she began to climb the ladder.


	4. Ambush

"Oh, don't be silly, Gardevoir!" Lopunny teased.

"B-but I was just thinking that..." Gardevoir began, frowning.

"No, no, you know that Wigglytuff wants to have me over for the party."

Gardevoir looked at Medicham, and she shrugged. Gardevoir had suggested a quiet party... so that she could tell Lopunny. It seems as though that wasn't going to happen, because Wigglytuff had asked Lopunny to have her party at the guild in Treasure Town.

"Okay..." Gardevoir said quietly.

"Why are you looking so down?" Lopunny asked.

"I guess I'm a little sleepy," Gardevoir lied instantly, which earned a sour look from Medicham.

"Well, you get to sleep soon. Oops. The fire is going out," Lopunny commented. "I'll go get some..."

"No, no. Allow me," Medicham suggested, already leaping up and walking into the woods.

Gardevoir looked at Lopunny. She was so beautiful, and they were alone together. She was equally loving and fearing this moment. The campfire flickered, and Lopunny turned to Gardevoir as the light reflected in her eyes.

Gardevoir sat down on one of the logs that the team had placed around the campfire. She was kind of tired, and this trip was taking a lot out of her. They were trying to find a diamond that was rumored to be hidden in this forest, and they weren't any closer to finding it than when they started.

Lopunny looked at Gardevoir and their eyes locked. Gardevoir smiled timidly, and Lopunny nodded.

They continued to sit in silence until Medicham returned with another sour expression, then tossed some wood on the fire.

Gardevoir, by chance, looked at the line of trees near where Medicham walked out, and a small glint caught her eye.

"Oh!" Gardevoir exclaimed. "Look! Look!"

"What?" Lopunny asked.

Gardevoir stood up and dashed over to where she saw the faint reflection. She beckoned for the others to follow.

Gardevoir faced back to where the light came from, and walked deeper into the forest. Very, very briefly into her walk she saw a pedestal chiseled out of stone with a large diamond sitting on it.

"Hey! I found it!" Gardevoir yelled.

"You did? The diamond?" Lopunny asked, emerging from the dense foliage.

"Not for long," a very squeaky and high pitched voice commented.

"Who was that?" Lopunny asked.

She got her answer when a Raichu came out of nowhere and bashed Lopunny in the back of the head. Lopunny hit the ground immediately, which caused a gasp from Gardevoir.

"Medicham! They got Lopunny!" Gardevoir shouted, fearful. Lopunny was the strongest member of the group, and they had knocked her out with one blow... even if it was with the element of surprise.

A Pikachu and Pichu emerged from the trees, surrounding Gardevoir.

"M-M-Medicham?" Gardevoir asked, looking around fearfully.

"Rest easy, girl, I got this!" Medicham shouted, hurling herself from the trees at the Pichu, right arm raised for a massive blow.

Pichu zapped Medicham with a quick, but very loud and powerful blast of electricity. Medicham was thrown back a bit into a tree, and she got up on a knee.

"B-b-...." Medicham sputtered incomprehensively and crumpled to the ground.

"W-w-what do you want?" Gardevoir asked.

"We, the great Team Bolt, want Team Charm's treasure... and that diamond as well!" The squeaky Pichu remarked, and all three members of the bandit group got a bit closer.

Gardevoir looked from Medicham and Lopunny's unconscious frames and back to Pichu.

"I saw you at Kecleon's shop..." Gardevoir realized out loud.

Pichu began laughing. Pikachu and Raichu joined in, albeit a bit awkwardly.

"You really think that one of you against all three of us has a chance to survive?" Pichu asked, still laughing.

"Heh," Raichu said, "Good one, boss."

Pichu rolled his very small eyes. "No," he said. "That wasn't even a joke."

"I thought it was funny, sir," Pikachu commented quietly.

"Gah!" Pichu shouted, "Just get her!"

Gardevoir narrowed her eyes, which caused Pichu to flinch.

Gardevoir ran at Pichu full strength and dodged a bolt of lightning. She put her hand in her moderately empty personal Treasure Bag, knowing it was made of rubber at the base, and grabbed Pichu with it like a glove. Pichu tried to shock her, but to no avail. She threw Pichu at Pikachu, successfully knocking both out.

Raichu looked at her fearfully, but still held his ground.

"Give up now, and I'll let you go!" Gardevoir said firmly.

Raichu answered by drawing his hand back for a punch and trying to wildly pummel her, but Gardevoir sidestepped the badly aimed punches.

Gardevoir kicked Raichu in the chest, knocking him backwards. He didn't fall, and recovered his balance. He sent lightning bolts coursing through the air at Gardevoir, and she weaved through each bolt. Raichu dove at her and hit her in the chest, causing her to stumble. He fired another bolt of lightning, and this one nearly hit her. She dove at him and knocked him to the ground, and then slammed her fist against the side of his head, knocking him out.

She looked around and saw Pikachu and Pichu in a heap, and then she saw Lopunny standing up dizzily.

"Lopunny! Medicham is hurt," Gardevoir said, pointing at Medicham who was struggling to stand.

"What... what happened?" Lopunny said, clutching her head with a grimace.

"We were attacked by some bandits, and I fought them off... come on, help Medicham!"

Lopunny nodded and limped over to Medicham. Medicham stretched out her arms and clutched Lopunny's shoulder, and Lopunny held Medicham up.

Gardevoir snatched the diamond off of the stone podium and put it in her personal Treasure Bag, and then motioned for the rest of the team to come closer.

Lopunny was supporting Medicham as she half limped over. Medicham shook Lopunny off and sat down with a very dazed expression.

"You fought off bandits by yourself?" Lopunny asked.

"Yes... I did," Gardevoir said quietly.

"Oh, don't get the wrong idea... I was worried about you."

"Oh, thanks," Gardevoir said warmly.

"Are you two going to have a pleasant little conversation while I'm sitting here half-conscious?!" Medicham shouted. "Can we please teleport to _anywhere _that I can get some serious medical attention?!"

"Why don't you _act_ half-unconscious?" Lopunny suggested, rolling her eyes.

Medicham gave her a death glare.

"We're going, we're going," Lopunny said as she whipped out the team's Exploration Team Badge and motioned for the others to hold it. Then, in a flash of light, Team Charm vanished to Treasure Town.


	5. Celebrate!

Team Charm had stayed in Treasure Town for another day after getting Medicham some help, and where now on their way to Wigglytuff's Guild. Gardevoir's nervousness was making the trip up the guild's steps seem very long.

Lopunny's birthday would be very eventful, indeed.

"Pokémon detected, Pokémon detected!" a voice yelled once Lopunny's foot was above the grate.

"Whose footprint, whose footprint?" another voice shouted.

"The footprint is Lopunny's, the footprint is Lopunny's!"

"_Yoom-tah!_" a voice shouted from inside the guild.

Wigglytuff leapt out of the guild's entrance and greeted Lopunny happily as Gardevoir looked on sullenly. Medicham put a hand on her shoulder.

"Okay, come on, come on!" Wigglytuff said happily. "Most of the teams are gone for the day."

Gardevoir, Wigglytuff, Medicham, and Lopunny crept down two ladders into the lowest guild floor and walked into Wigglytuff's office.

Gardevoir, with a drab expression, looked around at the numerous balloons placed around the office.

"Wigglytuff!" Lopunny squealed. "You didn't have to do all of this."

"Guildmaster!" a shrill voice called, storming into the office. "I have..."

The voice, a startled Chatot, looked around and spied Team Charm.

"Oh, Team Charm is visiting?" he asked, looking at the Guildmaster.

"Yep," Wigglytuff answered cheerfully.

"Oh... okay," Chatot said, walking out.

Gardevoir watched as the party continued, and Lopunny lifted one of the brightly wrapped presents.

"Oh, I feel rather silly," Lopunny said as she opened the box.

"It's okay," Wigglytuff answered happily. "Friends, friends!"

Lopunny tore through the paper and lifted out...

"A perfect apple?" Lopunny inquired.

"Yay!" Wigglytuff yelled, dancing in a circle.

Lopunny delicately sat the apple on Wigglytuff's desk.

Medicham picked up a burgundy box.

"Just something I'd figured you'd like..." Medicham said, handing it to Lopunny.

Lopunny nodded, and then made short work of the paper.

"Earmuffs!" Lopunny said as she lifted out a pair of coffee-colored earmuffs. "Fantastic!"

Medicham chuckled.

Gardevoir whipped out a small grey box that wasn't covered in paper, but actually made of silver. Perhaps she would give Lopunny this token of her feelings... and then actually tell Lopunny what her feelings were.

However, right then Wigglytuff's door opened, and Chatot peeked out.

"Yes, Chatot?" Wigglytuff asked.

"Guildmaster... we might have a small..." Chatot began.

"TEAM CHARM!" a _loud _voice shouted, storming in through the door revealing that the voice belonged to a Loudred. He was followed quickly by a Sunflora, a Corphish, a Bidoof, and a whole group of other Pokémon.

"Errr..." Medicham began, facing the crowd.

"SHHH, she's gonna SAY something!" someone whispered... loudly.

"Right. Well, this was supposed to be a small birthday celebration for Lopunny..." Medicham said quietly.

"That sounds like fun! Eek!" someone else whispered.

"Right, well, I suppose you can..." Lopunny began.

"Hey, hey!" someone yelled. "Whose birthday is it?"

"Lopunny's," Gardevoir answered.

"Oof! That's spectacular!" another Pokémon said.

Lopunny looked at Gardevoir and at the small gift she had in her hand.

"Is that for me?" she asked, smiling.

"Oh, yes..." Gardevoir answered. The room was still in an uproar.

Lopunny took the small box handed to her, and opened it. "Oh, thank you... it's beautiful."

Lopunny lifted out a golden necklace inlaid with tiny gems and complimented with a relatively large ruby in front.

Gardevoir could bear the silence no longer.

"Lopunny," she said in a firm tone.

"Yes, Gardevoir?" Lopunny asked, turning from the necklace that she was admiring.

"Lopunny, I have been silent for a long time. Perhaps too long," she began, and the room began to turn quiet. "But, now I will finally tell you."

"What...?" Lopunny asked, looking at her directly.

Her eyes fixed on Gardevoir's made her feel nervous, but she had to finish this anyway...

"Lopunny. For the longest time, I have loved you," she started again, and this provoked a massive gasp from the guild's members in the room, "and I always will, no matter what. Now, just tell me... do you... would you...?"

Lopunny stared blankly at Gardevoir.

There was a small sniffle from Wigglytuff. "Yoom..." he whimpered. "Yooooom....!"

"Aaaah!" Chatot screeched. "Somebody! Do something before the Guildmaster..."

"Gardevoir... I... well, to..." Lopunny began. "I just..."

_*  
Two weeks later...  
*_

Gardevoir was sitting down on one of the tables inside Spinda's Café*****, quietly drinking a Grass Gummi au Lait.

"Well, things could have turned out differently, I suppose..." Lopunny said quietly from the other side of the table.

"Yes... this drink is terrible," Gardevoir replied, chuckling.

"Yes, well, keep your voice down. You don't want Spinda to hear that," Lopunny replied, even more quietly than before.

Gardevoir put her hand on Lopunny's hand, and they smiled.

"_Yoom-tah_!" Wigglytuff yelled, startling Medicham and causing the café's proprietor to fall over.

"Geez, don't do that!" Medicham grumbled.

Gardevoir smiled. "I guess... everything..."

"Yep," Lopunny replied.

"Yep!" Wigglytuff commented.

"Yeah, well," Medicham interjected, giving a death stare to Wigglytuff.

"Yay!" Wigglytuff said. "Friendly friends!

_**End.**_

***Author's Uber-note: Spinda's Café is featured in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky. If you don't have that game, buy it. Right now. Seriously. Go outside, go to some store, I don't even care... just **_**buy it.**_


End file.
